Three Sketches For Ligeia
The clues in the sketches are the bold face text fragments:
- Those eyes! They became to me twin stars of Leda, and
I to them devoutest of astrologers
- And there are one or two stars in heaven (one especially, a
star of the sixth magnitude, double ... to be found near the large star
in Lyra) in a telescopic scrutiny
- Wanting the radiant lustre of her eyes, letters, lambent and golden,
grew duller than Sarturnian lead
- ... that sentiment ... I recognized it ... in the survey of a rapidly
growing vine - ... I have felt it in the ocean - in the falling
of a meteor
Explanation:
- The "twin stars" are actually Castor and Pollux of the constellation
Gemini shown in the paintings. Castor and Pollux are the sons of Leda, as
Poe evidently knew.
- The "two stars near Lyra" are in the picture the eyes next
to the Lyra in heaven
- These letters are on the two pages of the book
- The "vine" grows on the house (left side paintings), the "meteor"
and "ocean" are clearly visible
In the final picture the stars will be better elaborated and Saturn
will be painted near the book. I also forgot to paint the double star of
the sixth magnitude. I will paint it in the curls of the face.
